The Rice Table

They say the spice trade changed the world — today, its legacy is shaping the streets of Paris.
In this episode, we sit down with Eka Moncarre, the driving force behind La Maison de l’Indonésie, a cultural and culinary space bringing the flavors of the Indonesian archipelago to France. From her Peranakan Bangka roots to the release of her celebrated new cookbook, we trace a modern spice route connecting Indonesia and the City of Light.
It’s a story of heritage, migration, and how food carries culture across continents.
Award Highlight: Eka’s cookbook L’Indonésie à la maison recently received major recognition at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2025, winning Best in Asia and Best Bilingual Cookbook.

#Paris, #ekamoncarre, #lamaisondelindonesie, #cookbook 
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#indonesianfood, #indonesianrestaurant, #indonesianstreetfood, #indodutch, #usaindonesianfood #indobros #indobrothers #dutch #culture #history #indisch

Website: keasberry.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/jeffkeasberry/
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Helena Smit is a Dutch-Indonesian culinary heritage professional, entrepreneur, and storyteller who sees food as culture, memory, and connection. She is the founder and director of Stichting Eating Habits, exploring the shared food cultures of the Netherlands and Indonesia.
She leads Indofoodtours in The Hague, bringing Indo and Indonesian history to life through taste and storytelling, and is the founding editor-in-chief of RAKUS Magazine, a glossy celebration of Indonesian and related cuisines. Helena is also co-author of Makanologie, tracing the stories of Indonesian migrants who have come to the Netherlands since the 1970s and have grown to become leading chefs.
Born in Rotterdam to an Indonesian mother from Palembang, Sumatra, Helena’s work goes far beyond recipes — using food as a lens on identity, migration, and cultural heritage. Featured in national and international media, she continues to connect generations through the stories behind what’s on the plate.
A conversation about food, history, and why what we eat matters.
#eatinghabits, #rakusmagazine, #makanologie
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#indonesianfood, #indonesianrestaurant, #indonesianstreetfood, #indodutch, #usaindonesianfood #indobros #indobrothers #dutch #culture #history #indisch

Website: keasberry.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/jeffkeasberry/
FB https://www.facebook.com/cookingwithkeasberry

Episode in Dutch - 13
In deze speciale aflevering duiken de Indo Bros en Sis in de vraag:

Hoe versiert een Indo eigenlijk?
Is Indo love language simpelweg: koken = liefde?
En gaat liefde van de man echt door de maag…
of moeten we zeggen: van de mens door de mond — en de volgende dag weer naar buiten?
We praten over waarom Indo’s opvallend vaak géén Indo daten.

Over veranderende tijden, social media, Tinder en andere dating apps.
Over romantiek anno nu versus de stille loyaliteit van vroeger.

Indo Reflectie
In veel Indo-gezinnen werd liefde niet altijd uitgesproken — maar wel gekookt.
Niet altijd gezegd — maar wel gedaan.
Is dat nog genoeg in 2026?
Of moet de Indo-man leren praten in plaats van alleen sudderen?
We hebben voor deze aflevering een vliegtuig gecharterd!

Welkom bij Indo Bros Airlines. 
Waar turbulentie gratis is…
maar liefde altijd wordt geserveerd.
 #Valentine, #Valentijn, #IndoLove

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#indonesianfood, #indonesianrestaurant, #indonesianstreetfood, #indodutch, #usaindonesianfood #indobros #indobrothers #dutch #culture #history #indisch

Website: keasberry.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/jeffkeasberry/
FB https://www.facebook.com/cookingwithkeasberry

In this episode of The Rice Table, we explore what happens when Indonesian cuisine travels far from home — into a place where bold flavors aren’t always immediately understood.
Host Jeff Keasberry welcomes Andita Schirmacher to the virtual rice table. Originally from Indonesia and now based in Germany, Andita discovered her passion for Indonesian cooking after moving abroad and has since made it her mission to bring those flavors into German kitchens.
Alongside nearly twenty years of experience as a marketing manager, Andita balances corporate life with her culinary passion. She’s the founder of Andita’s Culinary Inspirations, has been featured on German television, and continues to build cultural bridges through food.

#Home Cooking, #Indonesian Food, #Cooking, #Workshop, #Recipes, #Java, #Germany
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#indonesianfood, #indonesianrestaurant, #indonesianstreetfood, #indodutch, #usaindonesianfood #indobros #indobrothers #dutch #culture #history #indisch

Website: keasberry.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/jeffkeasberry/
FB https://www.facebook.com/cookingwithkeasberry

In this Catch-Up episode of The Rice Table, we welcome back Indonesian-American culinary powerhouse Diana Widjojo.
Five years after our last conversation, Diana shares her journey from Hardena to Rice & Sambal, where she brings Indonesian dining traditions to modern urban tables. Her Rijsttafel is sometimes offered as a Mini Rijsttafel — a scaled-down, contemporary take on the historical Dutch-Indonesian banquet — while Liwetan emphasizes communal, banana-leaf dining, often eaten by hand, to capture the essence of traditional Indonesian feast culture. Check Instagram post here.
Throughout our conversation, Diana reflects on honoring heritage while adapting to modern tastes, cooking between cultures, and creating spaces where Indonesian cuisine can be experienced as both homage and living, evolving tradition.

#liwetan, #rijsttafel, #Philadelphia, #riceandsambal
Support the show
#indonesianfood, #indonesianrestaurant, #indonesianstreetfood, #indodutch, #usaindonesianfood #indobros #indobrothers #dutch #culture #history #indisch

Website: keasberry.com
IG https://www.instagram.com/jeffkeasberry/
FB https://www.facebook.com/cookingwithkeasberry